


Of Pianos and Soap

by Maebe



Series: Before They Were Them [3]
Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Awkward Conversations, F/M, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-06
Updated: 2015-10-06
Packaged: 2018-04-25 02:44:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4943656
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maebe/pseuds/Maebe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She hadn't forgiven him and he's not sure how to proceed. An unexpected conversation with Hershel may just offer the answer.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Pianos and Soap

**Author's Note:**

> Once more I have self edited. Please excuse spelling and grammar errors!

She hadn’t forgiven him, which truly surprised him. Beth was not the grudge holding vindictive sort. That was Maggie’s territory. Beth was sweet. But he had hurt her, deeper than he understood at the time. A bruised pride didn't heal over a bar of soap, even if he had nearly taken a walker bite to the ass for that perfect bar of orange blossom soap. It was dumb luck the walker got a mouth full of red rag instead of redneck rear end. It hadn’t mattered much at the time, just huffed out a laugh and tucked his prize safely into his pocket. Upon returning from the run he sought her out first thing. Wanted to see her smile at him, though he wasn't sure why. Ordinarily his stomach knotted up, writhing like a ditch full of snakes when she turned her smile on him. Pretty girls never paid him no mind and he wasn’t sure what to do now the prettiest girl he’d ever seen suddenly did pay him mind. Had. Not so much these days. Not since he fucked up whatever they had. Not that they had anything. Did they? 

He groaned, rubbing at his eyes with the dirty heels of his palms. A headache pulsed sluggishly at the base of his skull. He hadn’t eaten much today, nor drank. Too focused on getting out, finding Beth something, getting her to smile at him. Forgive him. She hadn’t. Looked at that damn bar of soap he offered like he was giving her a handful of walker guts. 

He should've known. Nothing good comes out of being nice. Nothing good comes out of pretty girls interested in dirty rednecks. Nothing—

“Looks like you're thinkin’ hard.”

Daryl jumped, so absorbed in his own thoughts he hadn't heard Herschel shuffling toward him. 

“Mind if I take a seat? I’m glad Michonne found this leg but I’m not entirely used to it yet.”

Daryl nodded, scooting to the side so Hershel could take a seat on the rough wooden bench. A sharp pinch in his thigh told him he’d need to pull a splinter or two out before the sun set fully. He really needed to replace this thing. Wouldn't do if one of the kids got a splinter from this damn seat. Wouldn't be good if Beth—

“Did I ever tell you about my Annette?” Hershel asked, staring out across the budding garden in front of them. 

His brain must not be processing right. He and Herschel had never been much the sharing type with each other. That was what Hershel did for Rick, kept him from getting lost in his own mind. Apparently Hershel took his confused silence as a sign to keep talking. 

“Annette. My second wife, Beth’s mother. Real firecracker that woman. One time I came home late, on her birthday no less. Sometimes marriage really is every cliche you can think of.” He started chuckling glancing at Daryl from the side of his eye. “She was spittin’ mad. Now I asked her forgiveness, showed her the new piano she’d been looking at for months. She looked at that thing like I dressed up one of our cows and led it inside for dinner.”

“Why’re you tellin’ me this?” Daryl grumbled. This conversation was making him damn uncomfortable, his skin itching. Had Beth told her Dad about what he’d said? That he was stupid enough to think soap would fix it? Hershel turned to look Daryl in the eye, a feat considering he usually avoided that kind of thing. 

“I’m tellin’ you because Beth is just like my Annie; madder than a wet cat when pushed. Once when Beth was four, Shawn lost her favourite hair ribbon. Used it to play Ranger or something like that. She stomped around the house workin’ up a good sulk for three days. Shawn tried everything to get her to smile at him but that just made her even more mad. She forgave him in the end but in her own time on her own terms. That’s just the way of the Greene women.”

Daryl chewed on his thumbnail, listening. A small tendril of hope was seeping in, warming him. Hope wasn't something he had much of but Beth had it spilling out of ever part of her, coating the air around her like fairy dust. Sometimes Daryl wondered if holding her that one night gave him a sample of what pure hope might taste like. It was addicting.

“You think she’ll forgive me?” His voice was small, less gruff. 

“I know she will. Can’t stay mad at anyone longer than four days. Less so now that the future is so uncertain. Now, I don’t know what exactly went on but I know my Bethy. And I like to think I know you, at least a little bit. If there was ever a man I know that would never hurt my girl it’s you. And I’m not ashamed to admit, I sleep easier at night knowing you’re looking after her.”

Wait. He didn’t think that…no.

“Hershel, we ain’t doin’ nothing. I wouldn’t—“ He was tripping over his goddamn words trying to set the old man straight. 

Hershel slowly stood, finding his balance on the uneven dirt ground. He reached out, softly squeezing Daryl’s shoulder. 

“Well, all the same. She’ll forgive you. And remember what I said. When it comes to you, I know my Beth is in good hands.”

Hershel hobbled away, leaving Daryl sputtering at his retreating back. 

Old man was going crazy. No one was safe with a Dixon. But she’d forgive him…and that was enough to ease the throb in his skull, release the band he hadn't realized was constricting his ribs. She’d forgive him. He smiled.

**Author's Note:**

> It's been a stressful two weeks so writing some Bethyl (if you turn your head and squint) was my stress relief. Thanks for reading, drop me a review if you'd like. I'm always happy to hear what you think. :)


End file.
